Drop-bottom mine car



July 5,1927.

1,635,048 s. H. M cRARY DROP BOTTOM MINE CAR Filed Nov 22. 1926 '4 She ets-Sheet '1 In. 3 Q

2 IE-iJ-E A h l/Vi ma Q 5 a; Vw

July 5 1927.

v s. H. M cRARY DROP BOTTOM MINE 01m Filed Nov. 22, 1926 {Sheets-Sheet z o 0 I o o o .5 E5 0 WWW l wh lmww mm 5 n n July 5 1927 1,635,048 S. H. M CRARY DROP BOTTOM MINE CAR Filed Nov. 22. 1926 E "i 3 0 6 a o I 'H X 0, A Z" A? 7' I 4 sneezs sh et 5 July 5, 1921. I

s. H. M cRARY DROP BOTTQM um CAR 4 Sheets-Sheet f4 Filed Nov. 22. 1926 among:

Patented July 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAM H. MOORARY, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR 0E ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM A. FOWLER, 0F KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

DROP-BOTTOM MINE CAR.

' Application filed November 22, 1926. Serial No. 150,029.

The invention relates to improvements in mine cars of the type having a bottom formed of a plurality of hingedly mounted sections which are adapted to successively drop to dump the load, upon release of the. leading section by tripping of a latch therefor, when the car reaches a predetermined point on the track.

While I am aware that cars of the type above referred to, have been heretofore in existence with more or less success, it is the aim of my invention to provide a new and improved locking mechanism for holding all bottom sections except the leading section in their normal operative positions, and for insuring release of the other sections successively when the leading section is permitted to drop.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a mine car embodying my iIIVBDtlOIl,

the leading section of the bottom being shown fully open, the next bottom section partly I open, and the following section still held closed. I

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail longitudinal section on line 4-4: of Fig. 2.

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are vertical transverse sectional views on correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a top plan of one of the. lockingbolts for the bottom sections.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. .11 is a transverse section on line 11-1-1'of Fig.9.

' 12 and 13 are respectively a side elevation' and a top plan view of one of the bolt releasing pinions and its attaching arm.

A car is shown embodying wheeled axles A and a body B, the latter having-a rectangular base frame F of channel iron or steel. The bottom of this body B is formed of a plurality of downwardly swingable sections, three being shown in the present disclosure, said sections being given the reference numbers 10, 11 and 12. The section 10 may be termed the leading section as itis the first -one which is permitted to drop, and the dropping of this section releases locking ployed to normally hold the section 10 in its operative position. In the present disclosure, a hook 13 is formed on the free end of this section 10, said hook engaging a latch member 14 on a transverse lever 15 which is fulcrumed to one end of the car body. This lever projects laterally from the car, in the present disclosure and is adapted for co-operation with an appropriate cam (not shown) to elfect swinging of the lever to the position of Fig. 3, when the car reaches a predetermined point on the track. Then, the leading section 10 being released to drop by gravity, the other sections 11 and 12 will follow.

Extending transversely under the frame. F and having their ends supported by suitable stirrups 16 secured thereto, are three shafts 17, 18 and 19, the shafts 17 and 18 forming parts of the hinge or pivotal mountings for the bottom sections 10 and 11, while the shaft 19 acts in a similar capacit for the section 12,'this section being provi ed with bearing members 20 secured thereto and embracing the shaft as shown in Fig. 1. This section and the other two may if desired be reinforced by suitable metal bars :21 secured to their lower sides. 1

The free ends of the bottom sections 11 and 12 are provided with keepers 22 00-01)- erable with looking bolts 23 to normally support said sections in elevated posltions. These bolts are slidabl supported at the inner faces of the para el side members F of the frame F, and said bolts are preferably of the construction shown in Figs. 4 to 7.

Each bolt 23 preferably comprisesa cylindrical end portion 24 and a' substantially rectangular end portion 25, the former being slidably mounted in a bearing 26 secured to "the side member F, while the end porti0n.25

is held against upward tilting by a metal block 27 secured to the side member F. The

upper'longitudinal corner of the end portion'25 is preferably grooved at 28 to slidably engage the lower edge of the block 27, as will bottom of the end portion 25 is formed with be clear-from Figs. 4 and 5. The e rack teeth 29 and with parallel longitudinal flanges 30 at the ends of said teeth, said flanges having straight lower edges.

Pinions 31 are mounted on the shafts 17 and 18 and have their teeth in mesh with a the' rack teeth 29, said pinions having integral attaching arms 32 which are secured to the bottom sections 10. and 11. It will thus be seen that upon dropping of the bottom section 10 or 11, the ociated pinions 31 will effect rglgase of thefltlzomaected bolts 23 ermittlng' pp' of e a jacent section s It will also be d bserved that in addition to forming means for releasing the bolts 25, the pinions 31 and their attaching arms 32, co-operate with the shafts 17 and 18 in hingedly supporting the bottom sections 10 and 11.

At the ends of their teeth, each pinion 31 is formed with a pair of arcuate extensions 33 whose peripheries are concentric with said teeth and are disposed in contact with the straight lower edges of the flanges 30,

l with which each bolt 23 is provided. These flanges straddle the teeth of the pinion 31 and thus hold theend of the bolt, remote from the bearing 26, against any lateral springing. Moreover, by having the straight lower edges of these flanges 30 in contact with the portions 33 of the pinions 31, the bolt is held against any tendency to rotate, and it will be seen that the block 21 holds the bolt against anytendency to spring upwardly away from the pinion. It is thus insured that the parts shall remain in their proper operative relations and that they shall smoothly operate whenever necessary.

If desired, angle metal bars 34 may be secured to the side members F over the bolts 23, said bars 34 extending between the bearings 26 and the axles A to guard the bolts to some extent against the action of the material discharged from the car. These bars 34 also contact with the u per sides of the bolts to act in an auxiliary citguiding capacity.

By the construction and arrangement shown and described, excellent results may be obtained. As soon as the latch 14 is released, the bottom section 10 drops by gravityand in so dropping, it releases two of the bolts 25 from engagement with the keepers 22 of thebottom section 11. This section then drops and by this movement, retracts the bolts 23 from the keepers 22 of the bottom section 12, allowing the latter to fall. When the load has been entirely dumped, the bottom sections may be re- .tnrned successively to their normal tions, for instance by a cam track sun that shown in Fig. 3 of Patent 1,268,390. It may also be stated at this point thata cam such as that disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 of this patent, may be employed for releasing the latch 14. V i

when section 11 is from the plmon.

The bottomsection 12 is of course firstreturned to its. operative position. Then,

jects the associated Its 23 into the keepers 22 of said section 12. Similarly, when sec-" tion'lO is returned to its normal position, the

associated bolts 23 are projected into the keepers 22 of the aforesaid section 11, said section 10 being held inits horizontal position by the latch 14.

Onflaccount of the excellent results obtainable from the details disclosed, they are preferably. followed. However, within the scope of the invention as claimed, various modifications may be made; 7

I claim 1. In a-car whose bottom embodies two sections hinged on transverse axes for downward swinging, the free end of one section ligwardly. swung, it pmthe bolt from the keeper and permit dropping of said one section.

2. In a car whosebottom embodies a downwardly swingable section, a transverse shaft extending across the carbody: at one end of said section, a pair of pinions mounted on said shaft and having integral arms secured to said section, and shaft hingedly mounting said section for downward swinging, and bolts slidably mounted on the car body for normally holding another bottom section, said bolts having rack teeth with which said pinions mesh whereby retraction of the bolts is effected by rotation of the pinions incident to downward swmgmg of the first mentioned bottom section.

3. In a car whose bottom embodies a section hinged on a transverse axis for downward swinging, said car also embodying a side member at a longitudinal edge of said said arms, pinions section; a'horizontally disposed lockingbolt at the inner face of said side member to en cured to said side member and slidably regage another bottom section, a guide seside, a bolt-retracting pinion secured to said i d end of said section and m with s a if rack teeth, and a metal bloilk secured to said side member and lying upon said last named end of the bolt to hold the latter against any tendency to tilt upwardly away at the inner face of said side member to engage another bottom section, a guide secured to said side member andslidably receiving one end of said bolt, the other end of the bolt having rack teeth .on its lower side and "longitudinal straight-edged fian'ges atthe ends of said teeth, a bolt-retractin pinion secured to said hinged end of sai section and meshing with said rack teeth, the aforesaid flanges abutting the ends of the pinion teeth and thereby holding the bolt against horizontal canting, said pinion having curved peripheral surfaces atthe ends of its teeth upon which the straight lower edges of said flanges rest to hold the bolt against any tendency .to rotate about its longitudinal center, and stationary means carried by the aforesaid side member and slidably engaging the upper side of the bolt to hold the latter agalnst any tendency to tilt upwardly away from the pinion.

In testimony whereof IV have hereunto aflixed my signature.

SAM H. MoCRARY. 

